Frederick Douglass Education

Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, by Frederick Douglass, is a poignant account of his experiences as a slave in America. Born in Tuckahoe, Douglass, like most slaves, knew neither his birthday, nor his father, although some suspected his master, Captain Anthony, of fulfilling the role of the latter. After the death of Captain Anthony, Douglass was sent to live with Hugh and Sophia Auld, where Sophia taught him the alphabet, after which he secretly continued to get lessons on how to read and write from the little white boys on the street. It was there in Baltimore that Douglass began to feel dissatisfied with the notion of being a slave for life, and his secret education only fueled his desire to escape. Douglass was later sent to

For instance, after going to live with the Aulds, Sophia, Douglass’s mistress, began to teach him the alphabet, and then, how to spell out a few simple three letter words. When Sophia’s husband, Hugh, found out, he forbade Sophia from teaching him anymore, saying that it would make Douglass discontent. Despite being forbidden to, Douglass continued to get lessons from the neighborhood white boys and taught himself how to read and write. Douglass’s education is what led to him feeling discontent about how he was destined to be a slave for life. After reading and hearing about the abolitionists (thanks to his education), Douglass was more determined than ever to become a free man. Because he could read, he could read about how others had escaped, and how he could have a better life as a free man. With his newfound knowledge from reading books and newspapers, Douglass was filled with a sense of injustice about his condition, and could articulate the evils of slavery. Another example is later, when Douglass was given to Mr. Freeland, he began to teach his fellow slaves how to read. On Sundays, he would hold a Sabbath school, where around 40 slaves would come to the house of a free coloured man to learn how to read and write. Those who attended Sabbath School genuinely enjoyed it, and were willing to risk thirty-nine lashes just

For example, when Douglass describes the whipping of his Aunt Hester after she was caught in the company of Lloyd’s Ned, he describes how the longer his aunt screamed, the harder she was whipped, and how she was whipped where she was bleeding the most. Douglass also writes how she was whipped to get her to both scream and to be silent. In the juxtaposition how his aunt’s pain only fueled Captain Anthony’s pleasure, Douglass highlights the pain inflicted upon Aunt Hester. It also magnifies the cruelty of Captain Anthony, as instead of stopping he decided to whip Aunt Hester harder to inflict more pain. This creates a magnified sense of sympathy for Aunt Hester (and other slaves) while instilling a much deeper hatred in the reader for the slaveowners. Later, when Douglass writes about Demby’s murder at the hands of Mr. Gore, he makes special note of how despite the barbarity his deeds, Mr. Gore continued to remain calm and not display any emotion (including sorrow or pleasure). Douglass later describes Demby’s body after being shot as “mangled”and describes his blood floating on the water. By first describing Mr. Gore as calm, Douglass sets the reader up to picture a calm man in their head. By first picturing a calm man, and then the same calm man perpetrating a vicious and bloody crime, Douglass amplifies the atrocity of the